PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The dichotomy of paper is its simplicity and its complexity. It is often the first material utilized by an artist. From the preliminary sketching stages, to the fully realized final project, few artists can escape their elemental connection to the material. In the spirit of exploring the boundaries and use of this media, Projects Gallery presents “Paper Cuts”, a multi-artist exhibition showcasing the works of Henry Bermudez and Florence Putterman and other artists with mastery of this material.

Venezuelan-born Henry Bermudez works by painting his enigmatic images on paper, before cutting out and collaging the swirling abstract deities. Here, paper is cut, overlapped and constructed, becoming as much a subject as the pointillist figures painted upon it. This new work features his signature cutout technique as well as dabbling with reflective elements, pushing the nature of space within his dense works. Continuing to experiment with his swirling forms by reintroducing color to his paintings and building upon his layering techniques, Bermudez has created a new and vibrant body of work steeped in his personal language of mythology.

More known for her petroglyph-like paintings, Florence Putterman’s print works commune with the sheet as a solid unit. Her imprints focus on the texture of paper and the impact of ink and paint. Putterman’s freeform shapes toy with the concept of what is applied and what is revealed as the artist marks the surface. Akin to Putterman’s textural mixed media paintings, her works on paper utilize tactile visual elements. The effect of the mark to the surface is as engaging and inseparable from the work as the image itself. “Paper Cuts” presents works of and on paper that encourage reinvestigation of this simple and often maligned essential element to artistic expression.

“Paper Cuts” opens Friday, September 7, with a First Friday reception from 5-8 p.m. The exhibition continues through September 29. Projects Gallery is located at 629 N. 2nd Street in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday noon to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday noon to 7 p.m. For more information, please contact Projects Gallery at 267-303-9652 or info@projectsgallery.com.